This is the master timeline for the journey — from the birth of Jesus to the death of Polycarp, with each event dated and sourced. Contested dates are marked. Where a date is traditional rather than attested, that is said.
How to Read This Timeline
Date Reliability
AttestedConfirmed by a contemporary or near-contemporary source. Example: Herod’s death in 4 BC (Josephus, lunar eclipse).
ProbableSupported by multiple independent sources and widely accepted by historians. Example: the crucifixion in AD 30 or 33.
TraditionalBased on later tradition, not on primary sources. Example: Peter’s upside-down crucifixion.
ContestedDisputed by serious scholars on both sides. Example: the census of Quirinius (Luke 2:2 vs. Josephus).
The Events, Year by Year
Before the Ministry (c. 7 BC – 27 AD)
- c. 7–4 BCBirth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Matthew 2:1 and Luke 2:4–7 place the birth before the death of Herod. Probable
- 4 BCDeath of Herod the Great. Anchored by a lunar eclipse in March and a Passover that followed. Josephus, Antiquities 17.8–9. Attested
- 6 ADThe census of Quirinius. Judea becomes a Roman province after the deposition of Archelaus. Josephus, Antiquities 18.1–10. Attested
- 14 ADTiberius becomes Roman emperor. Succeeds Augustus. Attested
- 26 ADPilate appointed prefect of Judea. Josephus, Antiquities 18.89; confirmed by the Pilate inscription found at Caesarea in 1961. Attested
- c. 27 ADJohn the Baptist begins preaching. Luke 3:1 places the beginning of John’s ministry in the fifteenth year of Tiberius. Josephus confirms John’s activity and execution. Attested
- c. 27 ADBaptism of Jesus. All four Gospels record it. Probable
The Ministry (c. 27 – 30 AD)
- c. 27–28 ADCall of the Twelve. Mark 3:13–19; Matthew 10:1–4; Luke 6:12–16. Probable
- c. 28 ADConfession at Caesarea Philippi. The turning point of the ministry. Matthew 16:13–20. Probable
- c. 29 ADExecution of John the Baptist. Josephus, Antiquities 18.116–119; Mark 6:17–29. Attested
- c. 30 ADJesus enters Jerusalem. The final week. Matthew 21; Mark 11; Luke 19; John 12. Probable
- c. 30 ADCrucifixion and resurrection. The Synoptics place the crucifixion on the Friday of Passover week. The precise year is contested between 30 and 33 AD. Contested
- c. 30 ADPentecost. Fifty days after Passover. Peter preaches; three thousand are baptized. Acts 2. Probable
The Jerusalem Church (c. 30 – 62 AD)
- c. 31–36 ADComposition of the creed in 1 Corinthians 15:3–7. The earliest Christian creed. Paul quotes it in a letter written in the mid-50s. Attested
- c. 34 ADStoning of Stephen. Acts 7. Saul of Tarsus approves of his death. Probable
- c. 35 ADConversion of Saul on the Damascus road. Galatians 1:15–17; Acts 9. Probable
- c. 44 ADExecution of James son of Zebedee. Herod Agrippa I orders him killed. Acts 12:1–2. Attested
- c. 47–49 ADFirst missionary journey. Paul and Barnabas through Cyprus and Asia Minor. Acts 13–14. Probable
- c. 49 ADCouncil of Jerusalem. The question of Gentile circumcision is settled. Acts 15; Galatians 2. Probable
- c. 49–50 ADClaudius expels Jews from Rome. Suetonius, Claudius 25.4; Acts 18:2. Attested
- c. 50–53 ADSecond missionary journey. Paul into Macedonia and Greece. Philippi, Thessalonica, Athens, Corinth. Acts 16–18. Probable
- c. 54–58 ADThird missionary journey. Paul based at Ephesus for three years. Acts 19–21. Probable
- c. 62 ADExecution of James the Just. Brother of Jesus, leader of the Jerusalem church. Josephus, Antiquities 20.200. Attested
Rome and the Nations (c. 58 – 68 AD)
- c. 58–60 ADPaul arrested in Jerusalem, imprisoned at Caesarea. Acts 21–26. Probable
- c. 59–60 ADVoyage to Rome. Shipwreck at Malta, arrival in Rome. Acts 27–28. Probable
- c. 60–62 ADPaul under house arrest in Rome. Writes the prison epistles. Acts 28:30–31. Probable
- 64 ADThe Great Fire of Rome. Nero blames the Christians. Tacitus, Annals 15.44. Attested
- c. 64–68 ADPeter and Paul executed in Rome. 1 Clement 5:4–6; Eusebius, Church History 2.25. Attested
- 66 ADJewish revolt begins. Roman garrison at Masada captured. Attested
- 70 ADDestruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. Titus storms the city. Josephus, Jewish War 6. Attested
The Second Century (c. 70 – 166 AD)
- c. 93–94 ADJosephus publishes Antiquities of the Jews. The earliest non-Christian mention of Jesus outside Rome. Attested
- c. 96 AD1 Clement written from Rome to Corinth. Refers to the martyrdoms of Peter and Paul. Attested
- c. 100 ADDeath of the apostle John at Ephesus. Traditional date; Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.1.1. Traditional
- c. 108 ADIgnatius of Antioch martyred in Rome. His seven letters survive. Eusebius, Church History 3.36. Attested
- c. 110–112 ADPliny writes to Trajan about the Christians. Pliny, Letters 10.96–97. Attested
- c. 116 ADTacitus writes the Annals. Mentions Christ and the persecution under Nero. Attested
- 155–166 ADPolycarp of Smyrna martyred. Martyrdom of Polycarp. Attested
- c. 175 ADCelsus writes The True Word. First sustained pagan attack on Christianity; survives via Origen. Attested
- c. 180 ADIrenaeus writes Against Heresies. Traces the chain from John to Polycarp to himself. Attested
Why the Timeline Matters
Timelines are not decoration. They are arguments. When a sceptic claims the resurrection was a legend that developed over centuries, the timeline shows that the earliest written testimony comes within a decade of the events — far too early for legend. When a critic claims the disciples invented the story, the timeline shows that they began preaching publicly within weeks and continued until they died. When someone suggests the Gospels were written long after the events, the timeline shows that Paul’s letters — the earliest Christian documents — were written within twenty-five years of the crucifixion.
The chronology is the argument. And the chronology is documented.
